Two teens charged in hit-and-run crash that killed Commerce Twp. girl, injured five others
(CBS DETROIT) - Two teenagers have been charged in a March 22 hit-and-run crash that killed a 13-year-old Commerce Township girl and injured five others, including the girl's younger sister and mother.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the crash happened around 7:45 p.m. March 22 on eastbound West Maple Road near Decker Road in Walled Lake when the driver of a Jeep Gladiator collided with two other vehicles - one driving northbound on Decker, and the other traveling southbound - while fleeing Walled Lake police. The sheriff's office says the two occupants of the Gladiator ran away from the scene.
The northbound vehicle, a Honda Fit, was driven by a Commerce Township woman. Her daughters, ages 10 and 13, were in the vehicle. The 13-year-old girl was transported to a hospital, where she later died. The 10-year-old girl and the mother were both seriously injured in the crash.
The driver of the Gladiator, a 15-year-old male from West Bloomfield, faces one count of first-degree fleeing from a police officer, two counts of second-degree fleeing from a police officer, and a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.
The name of the driver is being withheld because he is a juvenile. He was arrested Friday and will have a preliminary hearing at Oakland County Children's Village.
The passenger, Gavin Anthony Kassab, 19, of Commerce Township, faces the same fleeing charges. He was arraigned Friday and is being held on a $250,000 bond.
Should Kassab post bond, he must wear a GPS tether, submit to alcohol and random drug testing, and have no contact with the victim's family or witnesses.
"This was a horrific and completely preventable tragedy, and both individuals should be held fully accountable," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard in a statement. "I am proud of all the work our team did building this case, even including DNA evidence."
